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Barcelona agree deal for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho for £142m

The transfer window is heating up! Transfer Talk brings you live updates on all the latest rumours and done deals.

Check out all the confirmed January moves so far on our transfers page.

TOP STORY: Coutinho confirmed

Barcelona have reached an agreement with Liverpool to acquire midfielder Philippe Coutinho, the clubs confirmed on Saturday.

Multiple reports in both Spain and England suggest the two clubs reached a transfer fee of £142 million (€160m, $192.7m), with Liverpool receiving £105m up-front and the rest in performance-related add-ons.

The full figure would make Coutinho, 25, the second-most expensive player in world football behind Neymar, who left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain last summer in a deal worth €222m (£200m, $263m).

Inter Milan will miss out on a huge financial windfall as they did not insert a sell-on clause when they sold Coutinho to Liverpool in January 2013.

LIVE BLOG

22.53 GMT: That's going to do it for Saturday's live edition of Transfer Talk. Thanks very much for joining us, and be sure to check back in a few short hours when we return with all the latest gossip plucked from Sunday's back pages.

22.34 GMT: Despite being linked with a move to Benfica, Roma right-back Bruno Peres told Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte that he's happy in Rome, according to quotes attributed to the 27-year-old by CalcioMercato: "Benfica? I read about the news of my alleged transfer, but can only say I am happy in Rome."

21.49 GMT: Rubin Kazan manager Kurban Berdyev has admitted that midfielders Alex Song, Yann M'Vila and several others are looking to leave the club in January.

21.21 GMT: Arsenal are closing in on a £25m deal for 30-year-old West Brom centre-back Jonny Evans, the Sun reports.

20.50 GMT: A brief roundup of what Liverpool could do next this month following the sale of Philippe Coutinho comes from the Mirror. Its write-up states that the Reds will look to land Thomas Lemar, after they couldn't get a deal for the 22-year-old over the line in the summer, despite Monaco's insistence they won't sell any major stars in January; Julian Brandt and Julian Draxler are two compatriots who've caught the eye of Jurgen Klopp; and there's even suggestion the Merseysiders could bring Naby Keita to Anfield six months early after they agreed a deal for the midfielder to join in the summer.

20.19 GMT: Kristof Terreur of Belgian outlet HLN has tweeted that Everton attacker and Belgium international Kevin Mirallas has all but signed for Greek giants Olympiakos.

19.56: La Liga side Celta Vigo want Barcelona's Denis Suarez on loan, reckons Sport.

The 24-year-old came through Celta's youth academy, making 15 appearances for their reserve side before being snapped up by Manchester City in 2011. He made the move to Barca in 2016.

19.31: Sky Sports News reports that both Arsenal and Manchester City have both made fresh enquiries about the availability of West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans.

19.03: Here's official confirmation of Philippe Coutinho joining Barcelona! Subject to a medical, of course...

18.43: Mauricio Pellegrino has confirmed Southampton hope to sign Arsenal's Theo Walcott this month.

"Hopefully we can bring somebody that can help us be stronger," he said. "This is our target now. We know the market is difficult, but we are working on that."

17.28: DONE DEAL Liverpool have reached an agreement with Barcelona for the sale of Philippe Coutinho.

17.06: Looks like Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho was indeed flying to Barcelona, because most major media outlets are reporting that it's done deal with an official announcement expected in the next few hours. We'll wait for that confirmation, though. Brace yourselves...

16.01: Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho has not travelled with the team for a warm weather training camp in Dubai. Maybe he's flying to Spain instead...

15.29: Reports claiming Lionel Messi had an exit clause put in his new Barcelona contract in the case of Catalan independence "have nothing to do with the reality" of the situation, according to the player's father.

15.00: Beep-beep-beep! Time for another Philippe Coutinho update. Ernesto Valverde has declined to promise supporters that Barcelona will sign the Liverpool playmaker this month. Very interesting indeed.

14.40: In case you missed it overnight, Carlos Tevez returned to Boca Juniors for his third stint at the club.

The former Manchester United and Manchester City forward signs after an unsuccessful year-long spell with Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League. Tevez scored four goals while earning a reported £650,000 a week. Blimey.

14.22: Not one, but two Premier League clubs are battling it out for Getafe's £3.5 million goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, who is reportedly keen on a move to England.

The Daily Mail says that Watford and Crystal Palace want the 30-year-old, who has kept five clean sheets in 17 games for the Spanish side this season.

14.07: Liverpool's interest in Leicester star Riyad Mahrez has been dubbed "complete fabrication'' by the Merseyside club, according to the Press Association.

Mahrez was one of a number of first-teamers left out of the Foxes' FA Cup team to face Fleetwood on Saturday.

13.53: They may be close to bringing in Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane says he does not want to sign new players this month, instead challenging his current squad to return to their best form now that they have "no room left for error" this season.

13.30: Chelsea defender Jake Clarke-Salter is close to joining Sunderland on loan, ESPN FC sources understand.

Clarke-Salter, 20, spent least season on loan at League One side Bristol Rovers, and will now make the step up to England's second-tier at the Stadium of Light.

13.00: Manchester United's Luke Shaw has reportedly seen his contract with the club extended for a further year.

Manchester Evening News report that the player, who's contract was due to expire in the summer, is now tied down at Old Trafford until 2019.

12.40: Barcelona's Arda Turan will not move to Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, his agent has told Sport.

The 30-year-old was linked with a move to the United States yesterday, but that rumour has been branded "unfounded" by the player's agent.

12.20: Liverpool's Emre Can has been offered a five-year contract with Juventus, says Sky Sports.

Juve officials met Can's representatives on Thursday, and were able to convince him to sign a contract when he becomes a free agent in July.

On Friday, Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri said: "We're all aware of Can's qualities. He's young, with plenty of games and international experience already under his belt."

12.00: The Philippe Countinho to Barcelona rumours are really starting to heat up. Reports in Spain, including Sport, suggest a deal of around €120 million + €40m in add-ons has been agreed 'in principle' with the Catalan club ready for potential player presentations next Monday and Wednesday.

Mundo Deportivo claim that the Liverpool star is even prepared to pay €15m out of his own pocket for the deal to go through.

11.46: Arsenal's Mathieu Debuchy could be heading to Premier League strugglers West Brom, acording to L'Equipe.

The 32-year-old France right-back, who has made six appearances for the Gunners this season, is believed to want more first team football.

11.16: And another DONE DEAL you may have missed from Friday, as Chelsea took advantage of Ross Barkley being in the final six months of his contract to sign the Everton midfielder for around £16 million.

10.42: DONE DEAL In case you missed it last night, Everton confirmed the signing of Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun -- reportedly valued at £27 million -- at half-time of their FA Cup game against Liverpool.

10.11: Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes has ruled out any chance of Arturo Vidal joining Chelsea this month -- no player will be sold in January he says.

09.32: Reports in Spain from Don Balon that Liverpool want to try and bring Luis Suarez back to Anfield as part of any deal that takes Philippe Countinho to Barcelona.

09.00: We've raced through the first week of the winter transfer window. Let's see what Saturday has in store for us.

PAPER ROUND

Newcastle want Hart

Joe Hart has emerged as a surprise target for Newcastle after losing his place as West Ham number one, according to the Daily Mirror.

Hart's questionable form this season has prompted David Moyes to replace him with Adrian in recent weeks, leaving the Man City loanee facing an uncertain future.

Rafa Benitez is apparently keen to rescue Hart, but any January transfer would have to be approved by the player, West Ham, and his parent club -- not to mention Mike Ashley, who is still negotiating the sale of the Magpies.

With Hart earning £120,000 a week, the Hammers may be tempted to cut ties with the goalkeeper, and could use Newcastle's interest as leverage to bring Jonjo Shelvey to the Olympic Stadium.

Can close to Juventus

In what is fast becoming a protracted transfer saga, it has been reported that Emre Can has come to an "agreement in principle" to join Juventus in the summer.

Can is out of contract in June, and the Daily Mail claims Juve have finally won the race for his signature -- with manager Max Allegri praising his quality recently -- after pursuing the Liverpool midfielder for the past 18 months.

Liverpool had held out faint hopes of tying the 23-year-old to a new deal, but it seems Can has been lured away by the offer of a five-year contract from the Serie A champions.

He now looks set to leave Anfield for nothing, with Naby Keita already lined up as his replacement in the summer.

Ronaldo and PSG

Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a sensational bid for Cristiano Ronaldo, who will reportedly quit Real Madrid unless he is made the highest-paid player in the world.

According to Spanish outlet El Confidencial, PSG are keen to partner Ronaldo with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in what would be Europe's most fearsome forward line.

The only thing holding the Ligue 1 leaders back is Financial Fair Play, which PSG will apparently attempt to circumvent by offering Edinson Cavani to Real Madrid in part-exchange for Ronaldo, as well as selling Goncalo Guedes to Valencia.

Tap-ins

- Andy Carroll is a shock name on Chelsea's shortlist this month, according to The Sun. The striker has just 18 months left on his contract at West Ham, and could be brought to Stamford Bridge to provide backup for Alvaro Morata.

- Crystal Palace hope to take advantage of Ross Barkley's move to Chelsea by completing a permanent move for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, claims the Daily Mail. Eagles boss Roy Hodgson is a big fan of the 21-year-old loanee, who picked up his first England cap in November.

- The Mail also reports that Marseille have expressed an interest in Jack Wilshere, but the midfielder would prefer to remain at Arsenal. Wilshere has impressed since his return to the Gunners' first team and hopes to be rewarded with a new contract ahead of his current deal expiring in the summer.